Dr. Robin Brody is back to tackle a critical gap in clinical training: narcissism and its devastating impact. We cut straight to the core, defining narcissism by its signature trait, entitlement, and exploring the clinical distinctions between grandiose, vulnerable, and malignant subtypes. The episode then dives into the flip side: narcissistic abuse. Learn to spot the confusing dynamics clients face, including performative empathy, denial of reality (often called gaslighting), trauma bonding through intermittent reinforcement, and the predictable cycle of idealization, devaluing, discard, and hoovering. Most crucially, we discuss the "sin" of inadequate provider training and the risk of how applying standard components of evidence-based treatment, like assertiveness skills, can tragically fail or even place survivors in danger.

Dr. Robin Brody is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry (Voluntary) at Weill Cornell Medicine and the founder of Dr. Robin Brody Psychological Services, a private practice specializing in the treatment of occupational trauma, PTSD, and couples therapy, and gender and sexually diverse individuals. Her work is driven by a deep commitment to helping trauma survivors, particularly those facing PTSD and moral injury.

Her expertise and demonstrated passion center on treating trauma survivors, particularly those with PTSD and moral injury. In doing so, Dr. Brody has worked with diverse populations of civilians, veterans of all branches and eras, first responders, healthcare workers, and 9/11 survivors and responders across the diagnostic and demographic spectrum. Dr. Brody started and ran an EBP for PTSD program within the World Trade Center Mental Health Program, where she trained and supervised providers in PE and CPT. Before joining Mount Sinai's World Trade Center Mental Health Program, Dr. Brody served on the faculty at Weill Cornell Medicine. In that capacity, Dr. Brody oversaw Weill Cornell's Military Families Wellness Center and worked within the Program for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Studies (PATSS), where she was a co-investigator on numerous clinical research studies involving the treatment of PTSD, particularly among frontline healthcare workers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. In all her efforts, Dr. Brody is committed to increasing access to, and training, in evidence-based treatments, especially for PTSD. Dr. Brody's research interests include PTSD treatment innovation and the role of shame, stigma, and identity in trauma recovery.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• DSM-5 Alternative Model of Personality Disorders
• It’s Not You, Dr. Ramani Durvasula

Calls-to-action:

• Utilize Diagnostic Frameworks: Look into the DSM-5 Alternative Model of Personality Disorders as a useful framework for understanding healthy personality functioning and personality disorders, including narcissism.
• Obtain additional training on NPD and narcissistic abuse
• Subscribe to the Practical for Your Practice Podcast
• Subscribe to The Center for Deployment Psychology Monthly Email
• Leave us a question or comment on Speakpipe

Feeling stressed? You’re not alone! And that’s exactly the point of this lively episode of Practical for Your Practice! Hosts Jenna Ermold and Carin Lefkowitz welcome back the always-animated (and self-proclaimed “gesturing Italian”) Dr. Gabriel Paoletti for a refreshingly human take on stress.

From cheesesteaks to “mamma mia” stress cues, this conversation dives into how we can rethink stress, not as something to eliminate, but as a signal that something meaningful is at stake. Dr. Paoletti breaks down how stress can actually help performance, especially when we approach it as a shared experience, a “team sport”, instead of a solo battle.

Tune in for practical strategies (and a few laughs) on how to build your “stress team,” use humor to stay grounded, and create simple cues that help you, and those around you, catch stress before it catches you.

Bonus: Find out why “halloumi” might be the most unexpectedly perfect stress word ever.

You can leave us a voice mail message at speakpipe.com/cdpp4p, or send us an email at cdp-podcast-ggg@usuhs.edu. Your message could be featured in an upcoming episode!

Dr. Gabriel Paoletti is the Director of Human Performance Optimization (HPO) Integration and HPRC in support of the Advanced Research for Military Optimization, Readiness, and Rehabilitation (ARMORR) – Consortium for Health and Military Performance (CHAMP), a center at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland. He oversees the strategic and operational components of delivering comprehensive health and performance education on Total Force Fitness and Human Performance Optimization to the DoD and national security community. Over the past 15+ years, Dr. Paoletti has applied the latest human performance research to create and lead over 400 distinct human performance optimization and leadership development programs for audiences throughout the world, ranging from leaders at the Pentagon, Army, Marine, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard service members to Fortune 500 companies, professional athletes, CEO’s and government leaders. Under his leadership, his team has been officially selected to develop holistic human performance curricula for half of the U.S. Armed Forces. Dr. Gabriel Paoletti graduated from Saint Joseph’s University with a double major in economics and philosophy, graduating first in his class in both majors. He received his Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and his Doctor of Education in Leadership from Creighton University.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• https://www.hprc-online.org/mental-fitness/stress/unlock-your-full-potential-hprcs-personal-stress-toolkit
• https://www.hprc-online.org/mental-fitness/mental-health/build-your-stress-team

Calls-to-action: For example:

• Identify who is on YOUR stress team
• Review the resources from HPRC
• Subscribe to the Practical for Your Practice Podcast
• Subscribe to The Center for Deployment Psychology Monthly Email
• Leave us a question or comment on Speakpipe

Suicide prevention isn’t only about assessing current risk for self-harm. It’s also about recognizing that we can’t predict if and when that risk will increase. Patients spend most of their lives outside of our office, and an unexpected crisis can increase their risk of self-directed violence exponentially. The risk may be especially heightened for firearm owners, who have immediate access to a highly lethal method of injury. Fortunately, that risk can be reduced if we simply put a few moments’ delay between impulse and action in the form of secure firearm storage. Yet many clinicians, including our hosts, shy away from that conversation, especially with military-connected patients. Our guest today, Dr. Curt West, offers common sense and clinically sound advice for how to engage in this important discussion.

Dr. James “Curt” West is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and a Scientist at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS). He is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and has presented to the APA on physician and patient conversations on firearm safety. In addition, he has participated in the forum on health and family firearm safety and created an online course for the APA on firearm safety. Dr. West is the host of the podcast “Let’s Talk About Your Guns.” Prior to his work at USUHS, he worked as a military psychiatrist and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan as an Operational Stress Control and Readiness psychiatrist, and later served as the Deputy Commander of Behavioral Health at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• An article from the APA Monitor, “Navigating Firearm Safety Discussions in Clinical Settings.” https://www.apa.org/monitor/2025/07-08/firearm-safety-clinical-settings

• The BulletPoints Project, a clinical resource for preventing firearm injury www.bulletpointsproject.org
• Fact sheets published by the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress: www.cstsonline.org
• Let’s Talk About Your Guns podcast: https://www.cstsonline.org/suicide-prevention-program/projects/talk-about-guns
• Pause To Protect, a resource for safely storing firearms: www.pausetoprotect.org

Calls-to-action: For example:

• Explore the resources mentioned in this podcast to learn more about firearm safety and its connection to suicide prevention
• Listen to the “Let’s Talk About Your Guns” podcast to empower yourself to engage in conversations about firearm safety with your patients.
• Subscribe to the Practical for Your Practice Podcast
• Subscribe to The Center for Deployment Psychology Monthly Email
• Leave us a question or comment on Speakpipe